Sean O'Malley: ''I Prefer Petr Yan to Beat Merab Dvalishvili, Then I Can Have My Title Shot Against Him!

Former UFC bantamweight titleholder Sean O’Malley revealed his ideal divisional roadmap during a recent interview on Paramount+. The global superstar explicitly voiced his desire to see current bantamweight champion Petr Yan retain his belt against top contender Merab Dvalishvili.

The bitter rivals are scheduled to square off in a highly anticipated trilogy bout. According to O’Malley, a victory for the Russian champion sets up the most lucrative narrative. O'Malley wants to challenge Yan next to recreate their classic UFC 280 encounter. While O’Malley is open to a trilogy fight with Dvalishvili, he maintains that fan interest and pay-per-view metrics for that specific matchup would pale in comparison.

Analyzing their previous rematch where Yan dethroned Dvalishvili, O’Malley praised Yan's incredible striking skills. However, "Suga" also noted a massive physical disadvantage for the Georgian challenger. Dvalishvili fought a grueling four times that year. O’Malley acknowledged that such high activity, combined with consecutive severe weight cuts, takes a catastrophic toll on an athlete's body.

When asked about his prediction on their upcoming trilogy fight, ''Suga'' explained that although Merab's conditioning is phenomenal, and he could never be underestimated, O'Malley leans slightly towards Petr Yan to emerge victorious because of his wide arsenal of weapons and unique skillset.